In your notes . . .
Unit 3: Sub-Saharan Africa
Today’s Topic: African Tribalism
& Animism
Ancient African
Kingdoms
• Africa had empires that ruled vast
territories for centuries.
• Nile and Kush in Northeast
• Mali and Songhai in the West
• Otherwise, African culture is
DIVERSE – TRIBES!
1000 different languages; 1000+ different tribes
African Tribalism
• Stateless Society: Outside of north
and western Africa, there are
fewer organized kingdoms.
• Tribal culture changes dramatically
from village to village – DIVERSITY.
• Most tribes rely on waterways
such as the Nile, Congo, or Niger
for survival.
The Bantu
Migration
• Bantu originally came from
Equatorial Africa.
• Over thousands of years, Bantu
people migrated south from West
Africa.
• Today, most Sub-Saharan black
Africans have some connection to
the Bantu people: language,
religion, customs, etc.
Common Traits or Characteristics of
Traditional African Tribal Life
1. The good of the group comes ahead of the good
of the individual.
2. All land is owned by the group.
3. Strong feeling of loyalty to the group.
4. Important ceremonies at different parts of a
person’s life.
5. Special age and work associations.
6. Deep respect for ancestors.
7. Religion is an important part of everyday life.
8. Government is in the hands of the chiefs [kings].
Structure of African Society
Kinship –
Relationship
to individual
relatives
Family – Related
members of a
group
Clan – Group made up of
related families
Tribe – Group made up of related
clans
Family & Lineage
• Most tribes are structured around the
extended family
• parents, children, grandparents . . .
• Lived in small villages
• Families were combined into larger
communities known as lineage groups/clans
• Your lineage says a lot about your place in society.
• Extended family has struggled as many rural
Africans have begun moving to cities –
urbanization.
• Tribes are either patrilineal or matrilineal
(trace heritage through father or mother’s
family).
• In many tribes, women make the important
decisions.
Social Structures
Common Features
• Many societies developed village-based cultures
• At heart, extended family living in one household
• Families with common ancestors formed clans to which all members loyal
Age-Sets
• In some areas, people took part in type of group called age-sets
• Men who had been born within same two, three years formed special bonds
• Men in same age-set had duty to help each other
Specific Duties
• Loyalty to family, age-sets helped village members work together
• Men hunted, farmed; women cared for children, farmed, did domestic chores
• Even very old, very young had own tasks; elders often taught traditions to
younger generations
Traditional Societies: Family Descent
• Patrilineal  trace
ancestors through
fathers
• Matrilineal  trace
ancestors through
mothers
• 20% of African societies
are matrilineal today
Inheritance and Descent
Matrilineal
• The Ashanti people believed the
child’s blood came entirely from the
mother
• Uncle is more important than the
father
Patrilineal
• Oldest son is the head of the family
• Oldest son was the inheritor
Community &
Education
• The group is more important than the
individual.
• Age Sets: Based on one’s age, a tribesperson
has different responsibilities.
• Men: hunt, protect, farm
• Women: raise children, prepare food, clean
• Different villages had different methods of
raising and educating children:
• Congo – boys and girls were raised by mom
until age 6. Learned language, family history,
songs, etc.
• After that they were separated, girls to the
“house of women” and boys to the “house of
men”
• Traditions are handed down orally from
generation to generation.
• Griots of West Africa serve as storytellers
using poetry, dance, and rhythm to pass on
history.
The Age Grade System
Definition
• Includes all
boys or girls
born in the
same year
• This same
age group
works
together for
their entire
lives
Purpose
• To Learn
about
community
and shared
duties
• Together
they take
part in
special age
ceremonies
Effect
• This group
usually
thinks
similarly and
works
together
quite well
Status of Women
Societies that
valued women
Women could be leaders
Societies that did
not value women
Women did the planting,
weeding, and harvesting
Women were the
teachers of the family
Were respected because
the bore children
Bride Wealth paid to
brides family
In some societies men
married many women
[polygamy]
Viewed a wife as property
of the husband
Marriage customs
• Many traditional African societies are polygamous
• Polygamy: having more than one spouse
• Men may only have multiple wives if he can support them
Bridewealth- payment a man gives a woman’s family before
marriage (land, cattle, cloth, tools)
Dowry- payment a woman’s family before marriage (land,
cattle, cloth, tools)
Some tribes allow divorce, some do not
Problems of Tribalism Today
Problems of Tribalism Today
1. The tribe is more important than the nation.
2. Communication problems.
3. Inter-tribal warfare  civil wars.
4. Tribal favorites for government jobs:
Nepotism
Breaks down tribal
Urbanization: traditions.
Tribal intermingling on
the job.
Problems Facing
Modern Tribes
• National unity is difficult when many
Africans show more loyalty to a tribe
than the nation.
• Communication problems centered
on language.
• Tribal warfare, much of which is
connected to European Imperialism.
• Tribal control of government and
government positions: Nepotism
• Urbanization is challenging
traditional tribal practices and
breaking up lineage groups/clans.
Tribalism
problem
• Tribalism is
often a
stronger force
than
nationalism.
• Political
parties based
on tribes
• Problem of
creating
nationalism
artificially.
20
Globalization & Diversity:
Rowntree, Lewis, Price,
Wyckoff
Griots of West Africa
Griots, pronounced "greeohs",
are storytellers of West Africa
who use poetry and rhythm to
teach villagers about their history.
Their home is the territory of the
Mandinke people in the country of
Mali where their tradition is alive
to this day.
"Griot" is the French term for this
class of musicians; the local term
is jeli.
Griots
• Many early societies did not develop systems of writing
• Maintained sense of identity, continuity through oral traditions
• Included stories, songs, poems, proverbs
• Task of remembering, passing on entrusted to storytellers, griots
Music and Dance
• In many societies, music, dance central to many celebrations, rituals
• Carving, wearing of elaborate masks part of these rituals as well
• Early Africans excelled in sculpture, bronze as well as terra cotta
• Traditional music performed with variety of wind, stringed instruments
The griot profession is
inherited, passed on from
one generation to the next.
Griots are very different
from the rest of society,
almost a different ethnic
group.
They are both feared and
respected by people in West
Africa for their wisdom and
talent with words.
West Africans have preserved their history through storytelling and
the written accounts of visitors.
Writing was not common in West Africa. People passed along
information through oral histories, a spoken record of past events.
West African storytellers were called griots. They helped keep
the history of their ancestors alive for each new generation.
In addition to stories, they recited proverbs. These were short
sayings of wisdom or truth. They were used to teach lessons
to the people.
Some of the griot poems are epics that are collected in the
Dausi and the Sundiata.
Proverbs
• Griots passed on more than stories, they also recited proverbs
• Proverbs are short sayings of wisdom or truth
West African Proverbs
“It takes a village to raise a
child.”
“Talking doesn't fill the basket
in the farm.”
“Rats don't dance in the cat's
doorway.”
Religion in Tribal
Africa
• North Africa: Islam dominates
• Sub-Saharan Africa is more diverse.
• For the majority of its history, Africa
has been dominated by Animism &
Ancestor Worship.
• Animism: the belief that all things have
some kind of spirituality
• Ancestor Worship: having deep respect for
wisdom of dead ancestors
• Islam has spread beyond the Sahara.
• Christianity was introduced to many
parts of Africa by Europeans (1500s –
1900s).
• Today, many Africans combine Christianity
with tribal beliefs.